


Behind the Mask

by ihaveraccoo_n



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Guilt, M/M, Majora's Mask, Possession, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, except for the mask thing obv, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihaveraccoo_n/pseuds/ihaveraccoo_n
Summary: "No!!"They screeched almost piercingly loud. Sidon startled in response, but the moment he lifted his hand from the other's shoulder, they started to grasp at him as if in a blind hysteria."Don't go, don't leave me, don't leave me alone.""I just did it because everyone left me, everyone abandoned and tried to kill me. Nobody cared until I made them mad at me, nobody noticed me otherwise. I kept making people mad. It was better than being invisible."Even though they had hardly known each other for the shortest of times, and Sidon had previously seen some of the masked Hylian's oddities, he never saw anything quite like this. His friend seemed to constantly be at war with another personality, and the one he always apologized for was winning heavily at the moment.
Relationships: Link & Prince Sidon, Link & Skull Kid (Legend of Zelda), Link/Prince Sidon, Prince Sidon & Skull Kid (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 67





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Ended up using behind the mask as a title, but again, if anyone has any better ideas for a title, throw em at me!

He appeared without warning, without notice, and with barely a sound. One moment Sidon was looking down at the road in search of a traveling Hylian, the next, there's a soft splat behind him, accompanied by the sound of water landing against fabric. Upon turning around, Sidon was faced with two giant glowing eyes of a monster. He jumped back in surprise, hand flying to the small sword he always carried at his hip. Just as his thumb pushed the hilt up from its sheath, a flash of lightning struck in the distance behind the figure, giving just enough light for Sidon to momentarily see the full form of the figure. A...Hylian? A masked Hylian, perhaps?

_"The Zora Prince?"_ The masked Hylian inquired, voice muffled behind the odd mask of theirs. Sidon didn't quite lower his guard yet, although he did make himself seem more friendly. 

"Yes, that is me, how may I help you?" Sidon smiled and dropped his hands from his weapon. He was unsure if the masked Hylian could even properly see him in this pouring rain coupled with the dark of night, but manners were manners regardless. The Hylian didn’t move a muscle despite the strong wind coming from the side and the heavy downpour, they only kept their head up, the large glowing eyes of their mask staring up at Sidon. 

_”That’s actually what I was going to ask you, Your Highness.”_ The masked Hylian got down on one knee, unminding of the wet floor under them as they lowered their head. Another distant flash of lightning allowed Sidon to see the giant bone bat upon their back. Was that a Moblin bat of sorts? How does a figure as small as he wield such a thing? _"I was told from other Zora farther down that you were looking for a Hylian."_ Sidon lit up at this new information presented to him, already forgetting his previous ponderings. 

"Ah, yes!" He eagerly stepped forward, hands clenched in excited fists, "Are you willing to help us?" A nod. 

"Splendid! Why, we couldn't be luckier! You seem like you can surely hold your own—you're definitely a strong warrior! I can tell from just looking at you and how you hold yourself! Now tell me, strong one, what is your name?" The Hylian's head snapped up so fast that Sidon was surprised there wasn’t a crack. 

**_"Hehehahaha!! The Fish Princy is asking for my name?"_** The mask rattled noisily side to side with the Hylian's odd giggle before freezing all together. Heavy silence followed, then their head dropped back down shortly after, shoulders sagging it as if ashamed or embarrassed. _"I...apologize for that display, Your Highness. My name isn't important, but I can offer my help to the Domain should you give me the chance."_ They promised, their voice muffled voice back to normal. Sidon examined the strange Hylian as best as he could with the conditions surrounding them both. Masked, armed, and unwilling to give their name. While Sidon himself was aware of the fact he was normally quite trusting, even he, as naive as he could be at times, realized this Hylian wasn’t as trustworthy as most likely anyone in the Domain would like, especially the elders. 

Unfortunately, the Vah Ruta situation was rapidly worsening and their days were limited. Not to mention, the last Hylian Sidon found after an entire two days of standing watch ran away full speed, and not one of the Hylians from the stables swung by after his request. And if the other Zora had truly requested for this Hylian’s assistance, that showed the desperation of his people. He could not be picky, nor judge someone upon their first meeting. 

“We would be most grateful for your help, Hylian! I will not press for your name if you don’t wish to share it, however! I must ask, how are you with shocks?” The Masked Hylian slowly looked up at him, not at all like their earlier off putting show. Their head even tilted to the side in what Sidon guessed was confusion. 

_“Shocks?”_ They asked, momentarily looking down before looking up again, _“If you mean to ask if I can handle shock arrows and thunderblades, I am quite adept with them. They are normally my main weapon choices, and I am mostly resilient to their effects, should they strike me. Even lightning won’t kill me first strike.”_ Sidon clapped, his entire body thrumming with the excitement of such a lucky find after so many failures. 

“Marvelous!” He cried, outstretching his arms widely, startling the Masked Hylian who had jumped slightly. “Ah, forgive me for startling you, wondrous Hylian! I simply couldn’t believe how lucky I was that such a skilled Hylian came to offer their assistance!” Yet another strike of lightning reminded Sidon of their location. 

“It appears the weather is worsening, let us hurry to the Domain where we may talk further, yes?” He said, turning towards the direction of the domain and pointing, “The Domain is just up this road, as it is night, it shouldn’t be hard to miss as the structure is mostly made up of Luminous stones. There are also several lamps to guide you. However...the road has quite a few monsters along the way, and with the rain, the mountain is too slippery to climb. So, unfortunately, you will have to take the road.” Sidon paused mid explanation upon remembering the elixir he had brought for any Hylian who would offer their help, 

“Oh! And allow me to give you this, to aid you in your journey there.” He quickly handed over the bottle to the much smaller Hylian who slowly accepted it, examining it with a slight swish of the bottle. 

“The effects do not seem to work on us Zora, perhaps because they were made for Hylians. I know you said you were quite resilient against shocks, but I still hope this can be of use to you on your way.” The Masked Hylian nodded and pocketed the vial in a small leather pouch on his lower back, standing and looking up at Sidon. Eerie, creepily growing eyes stared at him in complete silence. 

"Is...there a problem?" Sidon asked, confused by the other's scrutiny and lack of actions. Why were they just standing there? Sidon watched them tilt their head to the side. 

_"No, but do you not need an escort, Your Highness?"_ Oh—OH!

"Oh, not at all! I am thankful for the offer, but I will be heading there by water, there is no way for a Hylian like you to swim all the way there like a Zora. Especially not up the waterfalls. But thank you, truly." Sidon thanked him with genuine gratitude. This Hylian was shockingly polite and formal, both with kneeling down to royalty that wasn't his and even offering to escort them through pouring rain and a monster infested road. Sidon was glad he didn't simply deem the Hylian as untrustworthy because of his odd mask and unwillingness to offer up his name. It hadn't been no longer than ten minutes and the little Hylian had already flipped nearly all of his expectations in the most spectacular ways possible. He was going to do his absolute best to make sure his people would treat the masked Hylian fairly. 

_"I see... if that is the case, please be careful in your journey and do not worry about me. I will do my best to not make you wait any longer than necessary, Your Highness."_ The Hylian bowed once before taking a few steps back and turning towards the direction of the Domain, crouching to the ground, _"There will be some strong winds for a moment, please prepare yourself."_ Hylia, this masked Hylian was even more formal with him than his own people! Hopefully, that could be worked on. But wait, strong winds? 

Sidon's eyes were forced shut from a sudden gale appearing not too far from him, surrounding the crouching Hylian who bent down ever so slightly before leaping up. Sidon watched jaw dropped as the Hylian _soared_ into the sky, their body doing a single, ever so graceful spin before their arms raised up, holding a cloth above their head that allowed them to glide, aided only by the strong winds from the weather. 

Unbelievable! What in Hylia's name was that? Sidon's understanding of Hylians may not be the greatest, but surely that wasn't something normal Hylians could do? Not even the ancient texts spoke of such an ability in Hylians! To his knowledge, the only species gifted with the ability of flight were birds and Ritos, the latter which Zora hardly knew about because Ritos almost never touched the ground outside of their territory, much like Zora themselves. Ritos took to the skies, Zora the waters. But that was a Hylian, not a Rito! Sidon had never seen a Rito, but he was almost positive that's how one would have looked like when they took flight. 

What an absolutely amazing Hylian they were! Sidon almost couldn't believe such a person came to their aid! Oh he hoped dearly that they would follow through with their promise, he couldn't and wouldn't force them to do so, so for now, all he could do was believe in them and their strength to make it to the Domain safely. Speaking of which, he must make haste at once! It'd be terribly impolite to make them wait because they arrived before him. But first, he must inform his men that he finally found a willing Hylian!  


* * *

  


Surprisingly, he caught sight of the Hylian just as they began crossing Luto's Crossing. Goodness, they were fast! And they seemed unharmed, too, which means they didn't have problems with the monsters they've had to pass by on the way. Diving under, Sidon quickly swam towards the bridge to catch up and slowly broke to the surface, ready to call out.

"Hy—!" Sidon quickly darted back to just narrowly avoid an arrow from piercing straight through his crest. He watched with wide eyes as the arrow eventually succumbed to the force of the water and harmlessly got carried away by the current. 

_"Oh—Your Highness!"_ The Hylian cried out in distress, Sidon looked up to see them at the edge of the bridge. He couldn't see their face—as they were still wearing the mask—but their posture was telling enough. _"Your Highness, are you okay? Did it hit you at all? I apologize for shooting an arrow at you, I thought you were an Octorok and—"_ Sidon shook his head before raising his voice to make sure he would be heard through their distance and strong winds.

"It is quite alright, Hylian! I should be the one to apologize for startling you! I should have suspected such a thing after warning you of—" Sidon nearly choked on a gasp, hurriedly pointing to the other end of the bridge to a black Moblin. "Hylian! To your side! There is a monster approaching!" He warned in a panic. The Hylian fell silent, but didn't even move into a battle stance, he simply turned to the side and watched the monster...slowly approach him? Oddly enough, it didn't attack—it had its weapon raised, yes, but again—it didn't attack. In fact, it seemed more confused rather than hostile if anything. Its head tilted from side to side as it glanced around, almost as if it couldn't find the Hylian which was standing right in front of it. 

The Hylian in question looked down at something Sidon couldn't see from his angle, but what he _could_ see was the Hylian raising a giant thunderblade—which the monster made no reaction to—and swinging it down with ease, causing the monster's body to convulse from the shock and drop its weapon. All the while, The Hylian simply bent down, picked up the weapon, observed it, and placed it back down behind him before suddenly plunging a spear through the monster's chest just as it began to regain its bearings. As the monster once again convulsed (but this time with a dying roar), the masked Hylian removed the spear and swung it once to rid it of the monster's blood. The monster exploded much like every monster did when slayed, and the Hylian turned around, raised the monster's weapon once again, shrugged, and slung it on his back before suddenly startling and running back towards the edge of the bridge. 

_"Your Highness, are you sure the arrow didn't harm you at all? Not even a graze? Lizalfos can smell the smallest amounts of blood at a great distance, it would not be safe to remain in the water if you were harmed!"_ The Hylian was...surprisingly a worrywart. Especially for someone who has done nothing for them other than ask them to complete a ridiculous request and hand them a measly potion. Sidon couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. 

"Yes, I am quite alright, ease your fretting, Hylian warrior!" Sidon called back up to them, flashing a grin he hoped the other could see, "I am well aware of the abilities of Lizalfos, but a mere lizard could never hope to catch up to a Zora in the water! I apologize once more for startling you, it should only be expected for a warrior to have reflexes such as yours. Although I say that, I am still impressed with the speed of those very reflexes! It was incredible, I wasn't able to even mutter out a single syllable before your arrow nearly pierced straight through me, I'm in awe!" The other's shoulders visibly dropped despite Sidon's eager and sincere praises. What they said next was barely heard by Sidon,

 _"Please do not praise me, Your Highness. I nearly used a shock arrow out of sheer annoyance, I didn't think you were near."_ Oh dear. 

"That...would have been quite dangerous, yes!" Sidon agreed, knowing full well that could have ended his life, "However! You didn't use a shock arrow, and I am unharmed! There is nothing to worry about, Hylian Warrior! I had just wanted to tell you that you are halfway to Zora's Domain! It is also quite incredible on how fast you got this far, but I can definitely believe it after seeing how you handled that Moblin!" Sidon's praises were of course, still genuine, however, he wouldn't deny that he was also immensely relieved to hear that he was lucky enough to come at a time when the Hylian _hadn't_ decided that he was finally done with things popping up from the water and shooting a shock arrow at him. 

In fact, he even sent a quick thank you up to the Goddess above for blessing him with luck. Still, despite Sidon trying to ease the other's worries, the Hylian dropped his head (although technically he was still looking down at him because Sidon was in the river below), and called down, 

_"Please allow me to formally apologize later in more favourable conditions!"_ They really were formal to a guy they were fulfilling a favour for. 

"Hylian, please! There is no need to be so formal! You are doing my entire kingdom a favour by offering your help, there is no reason to have to lower your head so much! Making it to the Domain in one piece would be better than any apology for almost rightfully knocking me with an arrow!" Sidon would hate to force this Hylian who kindly offered their help—when Sidon had close to nothing to offer in return—fight his way all the way to the Domain, only to lower his head for anyone in power. The guilt was eating him up just thinking about it! And, after a moment of thought, Sidon decided to add, 

"And do not worry, I won't startle you any further! I won't appear like this in the future, instead I'll patiently await your arrival at the entrance!" The Hylian stood still for a moment, and, although Sidon was slowly beginning to get used to the mask, it was still an odd feeling having those unmoving, inhuman eyes glow down at you in the dark. It was even more off putting than it was when the Hylian was looking up at him. Eventually, they shook their head, finally making movement much to Sidon's gratification. 

_"..st..y job."_ They said, but their voice was mostly carried away by the wind and unheard by Sidon. 

"Pardon? Forgive me, I didn't quite catch that!" Sidon apologized through the loud wind. The Hylian shook their head again. 

_"I'll hurry to the Domain!"_ This time Sidon was able to catch his voice. Nodding, Sidon flashed him a grin and a thumbs up before calling out,

"Good luck, Hylian Warrior! I believe in you, but do be cautious with the many monsters about!" He dove back under the water with a grand flip, hurrying to make it to the Domain. Luckily, his worries of the other not coming were eased. And, somehow, his beliefs that the Hylian was an incredible warrior was raised even further. Although that incredible warrior was a motherhen who fretted more than the most stubborn of the elders, a feat Sidon had previously believed to be impossible. Oh what a fool he was.

It was still a slight whiplash to see the other suddenly panic and fret about him like a worried mother after their admittedly questionable first meeting, but it was nice to see a side other than the mysterious one so early on. It'd be nice to one day become friends with the mysterious masked Hylian, but for now, he just hoped they could be the hero of his people.  


* * *

  


Sidon arrived at the Domain in record time, jumping out of the water and into the artificial rain. He allowed the water to slide seamlessly off his smooth body as he made his way over to the entrance to inform the guards of the Hylian who should be arriving shortly.

"Guards! I have found a Hylian willing to offer their assistance!" Sidon declared with an ear to ear grin which only stretched further when the guards at the entrance turned towards him with expressions of shock. 

"My Prince, is that true? A Hylian who can help us has been found?" Dunma looked both hopeful but doubtful, which was to be expected after so many failed attempts and the threat looming over them. 

"Yes, he offered to help us and is heading here as we speak, I spoke to him again on the way here over at Luto's Crossing. While he does not wish to share his name and dons a rather… _peculiar_ mask, he is both very polite and thoughtful, and I expect for everyone to treat him in the same manner. I will not tolerate any discrimination towards him from anyone." Unsurprisingly, the two guards nodded without missing a beat, filling Sidon's heart with pride in them both. If only the elders would be as willing to listen as them, but Sidon already knew that wouldn't be the case unfortunately. 

"Of course, Prince Sidon. But," Rivan began to speak, grabbing Sidon's attention. Rivan paused and seemed to wait for permission to continue, so Sidon gave it with a nod. Rivan glanced down before returning his gaze back up to him, "can this Hylian truly help us? I don't mean to demean him before meeting, but facing that Divine Beast would require great courage that many would not have. Not to mention the skills required to shoot accurately…" He cleared off, clearly unsure. Sidon puffed out his chest and grinned in response. 

"If that is your worry, then worry not!" He proudly assured the guard, "I have seen him face an armed Moblin without an ounce of fear, _walking_ up to the beast before slaying it in two swift strikes! Not to mention, I have also seen his great accuracy with a bow! It was incredible!" _'Experienced his accuracy with a bow'_ would've been more accurate, but he didn't want unneeded rumours or misunderstandings to spread throughout the Domain due to his wording. He was looking to ease his guards, not worry them. And he seemed to do exactly that, as both Rivan's and Dunma's shoulders slacked. 

"I'm glad...but why does he not wish to share his name?" The female guard asked. Sidon rubbed the back of his neck, unsure on what to say. 

"I'm afraid I do not know the answer to that, I didn't press him for his reasoning. I suppose he is a very private man, considering his mask and all. But I have deemed him trustworthy after he had offered to escort me to the Domain, then simply asked me to be careful on my journey when I explained that I'd be traveling by water." Sidon explained, the bridge scene coming to mind and causing him to chuckle, "I have found out that he's actually quite the worrywart." 

"If that is your judgement, we won't question it, Prince—" 

"Monster approaching!" Dunma's sharp announcement snapped Rivan's attention away from him and instead towards the bridge, spear in hand and in battle position alongside Dunma. Sidon followed their line of sight to see two familiar glowing eyes approaching slowly in the distance. 

"Lower your weapons!" Sidon quickly ordered, causing the two to look at him in confusion. "That is the masked Hylian I spoke of, not a monster." 

"That—" Dunma sputtered, pointing at the Hylian who was still quite a distance away, "That's a _mask?_ " Sidon gave her a stern glare.

"Yes, and I believe I said I won't allow any disrespect towards him? Do not point." Dunma straightened up and quickly returned her hands to her spear which was now pointed up. 

"Yes sir! I apologize for my blunder!" Sidon shook his head.

"It is quite alright, just do be careful in the future." Turning away from her, Sidon walked past the two guards and headed for the Hylian whose pace picked up, seemingly noticing him, "I am going to greet him and bring him to the King to properly explain the situation to him." He explained, speeding up into a trot until he stood before the other, smiling in glee to see them uninjured. 

"Ah, I am glad to see you made it safely!" Sidon said as a greeting, only to blink in surprise when the other knelt.

 _"I apologize for making you wait after my previous mistake."_ Sidon instantly got to one knee to lower himself to a more similar height of the much smaller Hylian. It didn't do much of anything, but it allowed him to at least place a hand on their shoulder. He waited until the giant glowing eyes of the Hylian's mask turned up and faced him to speak. 

"Hylian, may I remind you again that you are offering your services to us? You have no reason to act so formal, and no reason to kneel to royalty which isn't yours. I am the Zora Prince, not the Hylian Prince, I do not expect you to treat me the way my people do. In fact, I would enjoy it if you would act more comfortable with me." Sidon couldn't read the Hylian's expression behind the mask, but he gave a warm smile nonetheless, "Now, shall we go to see the King? There is a ceiling over the throne room and we must explain our situation better." The Hylian nodded without a word, so Sidon stood up and gestured towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Please, follow me." Another nod from the Hylian and Sidon began leading them past the guards. The Hylian walked in near silent steps behind him, the footsteps barely louder than the insistent rain against the Domain's floor. Just before Sidon was about to take the first step up the staircase, he heard,

 _ **"Huhuhyahaha!"**_ Along with the startled yelp of Dunma. Sidon quickly turned around to see Dunma a step away from her normal post while holding her silverscale spear towards the Hylian who made a loud,

 ** _"Wah!"_** and jumped away. A single beat of silence passed before a loud gasp came from the Hylian. They bowed twice at the obviously shaken female Zora, muttering _"Sorry"_ before scampering away and catching up to Sidon, head lowered. Sidon glanced at Dunma—slightly shaken but uninjured—Rivan was looking at the Hylian suspiciously, but was otherwise making no comments or actions towards them. 

"Is there something the matter?" Sidon asked the Hylian. They slowly shook their head no, still not looking up and shoulders hunched tight. Sidon didn't have to see his expression to know they didn't want to be questioned, so Sidon didn't press any further. With a simple nod, Sidon continued to guide the other to the throne room. No other incidents happened on the way. The guards posted at the staircase before the room did briefly glance at Link, but opted to instead nod at Sidon instead of saying anything. Sidon nodded a greeting back and entered the throne room, heading for his position beside his father's throne. He caught sight of Muzu redirecting his attention from the King to Sidon himself, pausing in whatever rant he was giving to his father. 

"Father, I finally present to you, a Hylian who has offered their help in our desperate time." Sidon barely held back his enthusiasm as he gave a small, respectful bow to his father, gesturing to said Hylian who knelt before the King. 

_"It's an honour to meet you, Your Maj—"_

A loud, piercing, screech resounded through the throne room.


	2. Role Reversal of the Motherhen Role

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link accepts to help, Muzu forces Sidon to be suspicious of Link with some arguably good points, and Link disappears for the night with the promise of his return at dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I changed the title and summary of the fic, case you couldn't tell ha. Sorry this took so long to update, even though I only worked just under 80 hours this week,,, I often didn't feel like writing this in particular or had other work to do! I've also been working on a little comic thingy, but that's unimportant. What's important is this chapter is finally done! Although I haven't beta read most of it, and I can't because I'm already leaving for work—I hope you can enjoy it, even if it isn't my best work!

It was only how common Sidon had heard that screech in his life that kept him from both openly flinching and scowling at the screech's owner—Muzu. Surprisingly, the Hylian didn't jump, his body motionless and still kneeled before the king. Sidon turned his attention away from the Hylian when Muzu began to speak,

"Your Highness, you cannot be serious when you say this Hylian will help us! It angers me so that we already have to ask the help of Hylians after what they've done, but out of any Hylian, you chose _this_ sketchy one?" Muzu stomped in a fit, each word spat out with venom and hate to the silent Hylian which he was rudely pointing to. Sidon was jaw slacked at the scene, mouth opening and closing without a word before his lips pulled back into a snarl. 

"Sketch—" Sidon barely kept his anger in check as he tried and failed to repeat the elder's insult, he couldn't believe it! _"Muzu!"_ He hissed with almost as much ferocity as the elder, "This Hylian offered his help in this dire time, risked his life to just get here, continues to offer his help even after that, and you _dare_ insult him to his face?" Muzu opened his mouth, probably to give more protests, but the voice of the king instantly silenced him. 

"Sidon is right, Muzu." King Dorephan spoke, voice serious and not at all mirthful with his usual easy laughter, "This Hylian is a treasured guest, I will not have you treating them this way." The stern look the king gave had Muzu stepping back with an open mouth that could only weakly utter the king's title, head dropping in reluctant submission mere seconds after. Sidon took a deep breath to compose himself and rid the snarl away, it helped when his father continued speaking. 

"I apologize for that, you were not deserving of such treatment. You are the Hylian my son has brought to aid us, yes?" King Dorephan prompted, earning a wordless nod from the other. The King sat back on his throne before resuming, "Are you aware of what exactly we would like your help in?" He asked. The answer took a few moments, of which Sidon guessed was the Hylian thinking before he finally shook his head no. Ah yes. He... might have forgotten to mention what exactly his Domain needed help with. Oh dear. 

"We would like your help in dealing with our Divine Beast, Vah Ruta." As if it heard its name being spoken, the beast cried a mighty trumpeting roar that no doubt resounded throughout the entire Domain. The sound had the king looking grim, regretful, even. "Even now, it cries. While not responsive, Vah Ruta was not a problem until as of late. Starting not too long ago, Vah Ruta suddenly started spewing water out from its trunk endlessly, causing constant rain to fall onto our lands." Sidon carefully observed the Hylian for any signs of emotion that he could use to read him. Any signs of hesitance, second thoughts, or anything else, really, he searched for. But, alas, with his lack of words and his perfect posture, Sidon couldn't pick up anything. Not to mention that mask of theirs certainly wasn't helping him in his efforts.

"You would think that since we are Zora, this wouldn't pose a threat. However, the neverending water is threatening to cause a massive flood that won't only massively damage our home, but parts of Hyrule as well." Sidon watched his father glance out the window and towards the Divine Beast, waiting a moment to see if he were going to speak further. Upon noticing no such thing, he turned to face the Hylian, already grinning.

"But that is why we require your help!" He exclaimed, fingers clenched in eager fists, "The water stops momentarily if we shoot the terminals with shock arrows, but as an aquatic race, we cannot handle such things. Shock weapons are highly dangerous—even lethal—to us Zora. I know it is an outrageous request, but there is no other option…" Taking a deep breath, Sidon met the eyes of the Hylian's mask, as he unfortunately couldn't meet the eyes of the Hylian himself. 

"Please," Sidon lowered his head, ignoring Muzu's undignified sound of shock and protest, "shoot the terminals for us, I can carry you up to the beast and help you move around it. I'm willing to help in any other way I can, as well." 

_"Do not bow, Your Highness."_ It's the first words spoken by the masked Hylian since the cut off greeting to the king, and it has Sidon looking up. _"My answer still hasn't changed, don't worry."_ Sidon doesn't bother to fight the grin overtaking his face. 

"I truly cannot thank you enough, Hylian! Oh how I wish I could probably explain my gratitude, but I'm afraid words are failing me!" 

"I refuse to accept this! I cannot stand to watch you lower your head to a cursed Hylian, not to mention one as suspicious as this! Why, he hasn't even given his name!" Muzu cried with an angry stomping of feet, causing Sidon to bristle once more. Slowly, Sidon took in a breath before speaking through slightly gritted teeth. 

"With all due respect, Elder Mu—" Muzu cut him off,

"I've waited and waited, and not only has he not given a name, he hasn't revealed his face! Masked, nameless, and suddenly appearing to offer help without asking for anything in return? How much more suspicious could he be?!" The Hylian slowly turned his head towards Muzu. 

_"If I may speak—"_

"You may _**not!**_ " 

"Muzu!" Sidon finally snapped—worse than the first time—with all teeth bared and fins spread, a bubbling growl to his voice. Immediately, he cleared his throat and turned to Hylian, forcing his fins down and his voice to normalcy, "Of course you may, do not pay any mind to him." He spoke, trying to keep his voice kind despite his previous outbreak. It wasn't directed to the Masked Hylian, of course, but it still wasn't proper, and could even spook him. He didn't like either, but disliked the latter moreso than the former. The Hylian said nothing for a moment, head once again lowered, which made Sidon fear he did exactly that—scare him. Gratefully, he eventually spoke, although he still didn't raise his head. 

_"Then, with your permission to speak…"_ They trailed off, once again falling silent. Sidod realized he was awaiting further permission, and hurried to give exactly that with a genuine "of course!", quickly shooting Muzu another look to keep him silent.

 _"My name...and face, is unneeded. And as for asking something in return, that's also unneeded. I merely need to shoot the terminals, yes? That's a fairly simple task. To ask for payment for shooting a few targets with special arrows would be...a bit much. In fact, if it weren't for the electricity requirement, this would have been just as easy of a task for your men, I would believe."_

"While you are correct, it doesn't change the fact that you're saving our Domain and several areas of Hyrule by doing this for us. To send you off on a mission without a reward would be unacceptable." The king pointed out. Sidon nodded to show his agreement on the matter. If the Hylian wouldn't accept a _reward_ , then they'd give him a _physical apology_ for the trouble of getting here despite its dangers. Either way, Sidon wouldn't allow the Hylian to leave without receiving some form of proper gratitude after he helps the Domain. 

_"...A few normal arrows will suffice for me, then. Can never have too many, in these times. On the topic of arrows, may I ask how many shock arrows will be needed? I have a few on me at the moment."_ A loud scoff sounded from Muzu, bringing yet another frown to Sidon's lips.

" "A few" won't cut it." He said, voice haughty as he stuck his crest up to look down on the still kneeling Hylian. Sidon was well aware of Muzu's dislike for Hylians, he grew up a century watching it himself. Even so, distaste or not, it was incredibly disrespectful to ignore both his, and most importantly, his _father's_ orders and continue to insult the Hylian. Sidon took a step towards Muzu, another scolding on the very tip of his tongue, but his father raised a large hand, silencing them both. 

"How many do you have right now?" The king asked, continuing on the previous subject. The Hylian seemed to pause and think for a second. 

_"I'm running a bit lower than usual at the moment, but last I checked I believe I had 77. I usually try to stay above 200, but regardless, my current number should be enough for the task, I hope."_

"Two—" Sidon spluttered, but became acutely aware of how undignified it was and cleared his throat, trying again, "How in Hylia's name do you gather so many? We found they were quite hard to get a hold of!" 

_"Ah…"_ The Hylian trailed off again, the slight turning of his head revealing how he was most likely glancing around at the room's occupants, _"Gerudo Town sometimes sells a few, and Lynels tend to carry around 20. There's a few minor monsters who carry them, too."_

"A _Lynel?_ " Sidon repeated the Hylian's words, gobsmacked, "You collect arrows from _Lynels?_ How on—there's been a Lynel who made its territory atop our Polynormous Mountain, but our soldiers have been unable to slay it despite our best efforts!" 

_"Oh. Because they use shock arrows? I could see how that could pose a major problem if they're so lethal to your race that they can kill with only one, not to mention 3 at once from a Lynel's bow. Would you like me to slay it for you, Your Highness?"_

"Slay—Oh sweet heaven no! I could never send you off to do such a thing!" Sidon couldn't help but bring a hand to his chest, he nearly got a heart attack from that insane offer! It was one thing to ask them to shoot the terminals of a dangerous Divine Beast, but it was an entirely different thing to ask them to go slay a Lynel! Despite having just said he'd go face off the beast that could slay any one of his men in a single shot, the Hylian just gave a seemingly nonchalant nod.

_"If that is your wish."_

"You...who are you..?" Muzu muttered with a half step back, looking at the Hylian with somehow even more distrust and suspicion than before. Under it, the Hylian's relaxed pose stiffened. Stiff shoulders and lowered head, the Hylian replied, 

_"...Just... someone whose job is to help. That's it."_

"Then, that's all you'll be, a kind Hylian who offered their help—regardless if you succeed. Remain however makes you most comfortable." The king smiled, leaning back on his throne and giving a small wave to said Hylian, "Now then, go rest up. Time is short, but we will not flood over the time of a night's rest." 

_"I can shoot just fine now, Your Majesty."_ They insisted, although they still didn't raise their head. Sidon watched the king shake his head since the Hylian did not. 

"A rested archer shoots far better than a tired one." Was his father's final words on the matter. As if sensing that fact, the Hylian gave in and nodded. 

_"Understood."_  


* * *

  


"What do you think, Father?" Sidon inquired after he had sent Tottika to the inn with the order of showing the masked Hylian the way. Muzu still remained, as did the deep, disapproving and suspicious frown the elder wore. Luckily, Sidon had already regained control of his composure, no longer on the constant edge of snapping or baring his full teeth to his father's advisor. 

That didn't mean he wouldn't rightfully get mad over insults to the Hylian, though. 

Instead of getting himself riled up before anything had even left Muzu's lips, Sidon redirected his attention to his father, who was tapping a finger against his chin with a deep hum. 

"I do not know of his strength, as I had not seen him in action. I will believe his strength from your words alone, as you seem to firmly believe it yourself." The king spoke. In lieu of a verbal response, Sidon gave a firm nod, allowing his father to continue without disturbance. 

"However, I do hope it is enough. Time is running terribly short, and despite our best efforts, help has not come in much, sadly." Sidon couldn't help but grimace at this, to which earned him a head shake.

"I am not blaming you, my son. Nor am I blaming those who have not given their aid. We are requesting a rather heavy task. Vah Ruta attacks all that goes near, placing the archer in danger. A Hylian would surely be heavily injured after a hit from those ice blocks." Again, the king brought a hand to his chin, eyes shutting with deep thought.

"On the topic of Hylians, I cannot help but feel like I recognize the one who came to aid us." Sidon lit up at this.

"Are you certain, father?" 

"I cannot say for sure, no. But his kneel and the bow he had given on his way out was perfect, almost as if he were a trained soldier—no, knight. However, while my knowledge on the Sheikah is close to nothing, I can at least recognize their symbol, which was all along the Hylian's clothing. I do not know of any Sheikah knights, yet even their voice felt like I had heard it before…" 

"I do wonder who he is, to be truthful. I did not wish to press him for answers in fear of him taking back his help or making him uncomfortable, but I cannot help but feel curious, to say in the least. Why he hides his identity or dons that particular mask is a mystery to me…" 

"He could be Yiga." Muzu chimed in, his face ever the same in a frown. Sidon turned to him, unsure if he heard him clearly.

"Pardon?" 

"He could be Yiga, that masked Hylian." He repeated again. Sidon heard his father turn in his throne.

"And what leads you to believe that, Muzu?" His father questioned before Sidon could. Good thing he did, Sidon feared he was not mature enough yet to make his question not sound like a threat.

"He wears Sheikah clothing but does not refer to himself as a member of the Sheikah clan. He wears a mask which covers the entirety of his face and does not give his name, like a member of the Yiga. Most suspicious of all, he suddenly appears when we are trying to stop a Divine Beast infested by Ganon, their leader." Each point was better than the last, and Sidon knew he didn't know enough of the Yiga clan to hope to debunk any of what was said. It definitely sounded plausible, now that he thought about it, but he very much didn't want to believe it. After all, the other so very much panicked when he almost shot him...or was he originally trying to and then acted that way when he missed? 

No. It would do no good to be suspicious of the Hylian without any solid proof. 

"We can keep an eye on him during his stay, but we will not take action unless he makes any suspicious moves or we have proof of him being Yiga." Muzu grumbled, but thankfully made no further comments about the topic. While Sidon didn't exactly enjoy the thought of the only one who came to their aid after so much struggle being Yiga, but even he knew it'd be naive to trust anyone who says they have good intentions. But other than knowing to now keep an eye out for any questionable actions, he would treat the Hylian the same as he had been. 

As for questionable actions so far...the arrow shooting and the odd personality switches—neither of which Sidon hadn't mentioned. Luckily, neither happened in front of his father, too. Especially the former. Shaking away his thoughts, Sidon turned towards his father. 

"I will go check on our masked guest before he rests in the inn. If we are to figure out if he is of ill will or not, getting to better know him might be best." He turned away and faced the exit, sighing, "I greatly hope he is truly here simply to help, as he promised." His father hummed.

"As do I, my son. This problem will soon affect those outside of our home as well, after all." After a grim nod to show his agreement, Sidon politely excused himself and headed for the Inn. When he got there, he was surprised to see it free from customers. He blinked, looking around once more before turning to Kayden who belatedly noticed him and scrambled away from whatever he was writing to instead salute at him. 

"My apologies for the delayed greeting, my prince!" Kayden fumbled and tripped on his words clumsily. Sidon waved him off. 

"At ease, it is fine." Another glance around proved the Hylian wasn't just hiding in a corner or something along those odd lines, "Where is the masked Hylian I sent here to come rest for the night?" Sidon questioned, finally giving up on searching for the Hylian who so obviously wasn't here. He watched Kayden rub at the back of his neck. 

"Ah...them? Well they…" Kayden cleared his throat, "They left—until dawn? They said that they had night watch duty for his camp, and couldn't just ditch it. They promised to be back by dawn, though, and left with what I believed was a Lizal Tri-boomerang and Steel Lizal Shield." A Lizal Tri-boomerang and Steel Lizal Shield? That was not the weapon which was strapped to his back before—wait—now that Sidon thought about it, neither the spear nor the Great Thunderblade was on the Hylian when he introduced himself, yet he used them both on the Black Moblin on the bridge. 

Where did he get those from? During his travel from the towers to the bridge? What happened to the original Moblin bat, then? He even slung the Moblin's weapon on his back—how in Hylia's name did he carry all that, _and_ the Lizalfos weapon and shield? 

Did he gain that too and toss the other weapons away before he entered the Domain? What weapon did he even have when he entered it? Was it the same Moblin bat from the first meeting? The one from the Black Moblin? The Lizalfos weapon? It definitely wasn't the Great Thunderblade...

In his pondering, Sidon didn't notice Kayden's discomfort until they were shuffling on their feet. 

"Should I have...tried to stop them, my prince?" Kayden asked guiltily. 

"Oh—certainly not, we will not be forcing anyone to aid us, however dire of a situation we may be in." Still, what do they do with all their weapons? And did they truly disappear simply because of a night watch? Or were they running away? No...if Sidon were being truthful, the journey to the Domain itself was probably more dangerous than approaching Vah Ruta to simply shoot at its four terminals. And running away by taking a monster infested path didn't sound very safe, either. In terms of safety, it'd be far safer to simply sleep here. Then why?

Sidon took in a deep breath, thinking everything through. 

The Hylian said they'd be back by dawn, so they'd be back by dawn. When on the journey to the Domain, they had broken Sidon's expectations in the best ways possible. Sidon could only hope that they would continue to do so, when dawn came.

And if they didn't return, well...Sidon would pray for their safety, whenever they would be, before continuing his previous search of a Hylian who could aid them. 

"If they said they'll be back by dawn, then we shall wait for their return at dawn." Sidon decided, giving a nod to Kayden before taking his leave. Muzu definitely wouldn't be happy with this outcome. But, well, when was he ever, these days? Sidon understood where he was coming from, but that was no reason to take his anger out on Hylians who weren't even born during the time the Hylians had, as the elders call it, "wronged" them. In this land where the end grew closer every minute...there was no reason to treat each other with such scorn because of a century old problem. For this land to fall, infected with monsters and hatred for one another...no, this wasn't the time for such thoughts. He was getting distracted, his job was to simply wait for the Hylian to return.  


* * *

  


And return, they did. This time, with the Dragonbone spear of a Moblin strapped to their back, and the Lizal equipment nowhere to be seen.

"It is wonderful to see you return safely…" Sidon greeted warmly, happy to see they didn't, in fact, run away. It wasn't until he eyed a singed part of the Hylian's sleeve did his smile drop, "Oh dear, would you like to see a healer?" The Hylian took a moment to look down at his arm, staring at it silently before slowly going, 

_"Oh…"_ Sidon blinked at the slowness of his voice. _"It's fine, just an Electric Keese injury. I'm not really hurt that badly, these clothes are just damaged easily."_

"Is that so? Surely the Sheikah have more durable armour you could use, then?" Sidon smoothly asked, hoping the other doesn't notice his minor interrogation.

 _"I'm not sure."_ They reply after a beat of silence, as if he were thinking about his words before they left him, _"Not even the guards were wearing anything different from the citizens. And this was the only Sheikah clothing available to the public, according to the shopkeeper, at least."_

"To the public?" Sidon parroted with the slight tilt of his head, "Are you not Sheikah?" The other hummed lowly before falling to silence, saying nothing for several moments until their head jerked up stiffly, almost like snapping back into reality. 

_"Ah, no. I'm a Hylian. Sorry for the confusion, Your Highness."_ They finally spoke—but although their voice was less slurred than before, it wasn't the same fine, albeit muffled, voice of a soldier from the day before. Sidon had a strong feeling this wasn't due to the other's mask.

"You have not slept." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. With the way their reactions were slightly more delayed than the day before, and their stance not being the perfect soldier stand, it was obvious to Sidon even if he couldn't see their face. Kayden _had_ said that he had left with the explanation of having the night watch at his camp and the promise of being back at dawn, but Sidon hadn't expected for the Hylian to have stayed up the entire night. He had thought, mayhaps, that whoever else was in the Hylian's party would take turns on the watch, not have one person watch the entire night. 

_"I had night watch."_ The Masked Hylian said, probably assuming Sidon didn't already know that fact and wasn't just thinking about it seconds earlier.

"I am aware." Sidon responded, frowning as he examined the Hylian's state. Although he remained still, the Hylian was slowly rubbing a thumb along his own hand, and the mask didn't quite seem to be looking up all the way to meet his gaze. Sidon chalked the action with his thumb as a nervous tick, and filed it for future reference. "But was there not others in your camp who could've taken your shift, if not partly?" Sidon finished, keeping his eyes on the other to catch any other giveaways of their emotions. Reading someone without seeing their face wasn't exactly the easiest of tasks, but luckily, sometimes the body and voice gave away more than the face.

 _"They have short vision."_ They said, voice short with nervousness and their thumb still moving, _"All of them. They all have short vision."_ They repeated, as if saying it again would make it more valid of a reason than the first time. And then— _"And bad hearing. They can't tell what's footsteps or what's water if it were to rain." **If**_ it started to rain. That caught his attention, and the Hylian seemed to shrink slightly under Sidon's scrutinizing gaze. 

" _If_ it started to rain?" The Hylian startled. The flinch was barely visible, but Sidon caught it nonetheless. So, the Hylian didn't mean to say that, hm? "The rain doesn't stop here. Tell me, how far did you go to reach your camp?" No response. 

"The path to Zora Domain is already dangerous, even more so at night." Sidon didn't bother to hide his frown at this point. The Hylian had just up and left yesterday by himself, how much more danger could he have possibly wanted to throw himself into? Although in hindsight... the fact that his camp was not in the territory of the Domain makes sense, and Sidon could only berate himself for not realizing sooner. 

_"It's not that far. Plus I have shortcuts."_ The Masked Hylian eventually tried to defend. The defense sounded weak to Sidon, though that may be his biased opinion. _"Besides, I'm not that tired. It's only been about two days since I slept, I've gone far longer. I can shoot fine."_ Ohhh, no. No. And, _no._

"Absolutely not. You are to sleep till noon, _at least_." Sidon firmly stated, fully decided he was going to have it no other way. No excuses or words to defend himself would get the Hylian out of this. Said Hylian's shoulders fell, slightly tensed fingers splaying out as they slowly looked up at Sidon. Again, all Sidon could see was giant, eerie and orange eyes staring at him, but the Hylian's voice gave away his emotions quite well at the moment. 

_"I'm sorry?"_ The Hylian near sputtered, taking half a step back in obvious disbelief. 

"I do believe I said it quite clearly the first time," Sidon took on his diplomatic voice—a voice he rarely used but was nonetheless trained to near perfection, "I will send you off to bed like a fry if I have to. You are resting until at least noon, I refuse to allow you to stand before Vah Ruta as you are now." Placing a firm hand on the other's shoulder, Sidon began to push him towards the direction of the inn. 

_"As I—" They stumbled in their step, and Sidon apologetically eased his force and speed but didn't relent entirely, "Your Highness, I am fi—"_

"I will have none of that." Sidon quickly shut him down, "Do not worry about the fees, it will be covered. Rest. In the words of my father, a rested archer shoots far better than a tired one." 

_"But the rain—"_

"Will not flood Hyrule in the timespan of your much needed nap—which is also similar to what my father had said." Sidon pushed them through the door of the inn and quickly sidestepped to block it. "Kodah, make sure he sleeps until at least noon and does not leave before it. Leave the fees to me." Kodah startled from where she was standing idly by the cooking pot (a fact he'll have to apologize for later) before quickly straightening up and saluting.

"Yes, My Prince!" 

_"Your Highness,"_ A louder, more frustrated voice came from the Hylian. Despite the light of day, the eyes of the mask seemed to glow brighter with their frustration, _"I can go_ days _without sleep and fight perfectly fine, I don't want to push the problems Vah Ruta causes back any further."_ Sidon stared down at the glowing eyes sternly, determined to show he would not waver on his choice. 

But as the silent and tense seconds ticked by, Sidon realized the other wouldn't waver, as well. At least with his current choice of persuading. Sighing, Sidon slowly got down on one knee and grabbed a single, small hand. Perhaps he had been too pushy. Even if he felt he was correct in this situation, he should still think about the other's feelings. 

"I apologize for acting so demanding and pushy, Partner." He wasn't exactly sure when he came up with that title, but it seemed to fit well, so Sidon decided to keep it, "I simply worry for you. Vah Ruta will not remain dormant when we approach it, it will attack. I will try my best to protect you from it, but there's always a chance. I do not want to take you to battle when you are anything but your most alert, as I don't wish for my request to cost you any kind of injury—or worse, your life. So please, my friend, rest, even for just a few hours." Sidon spoke sincerely as he carefully squeezed the Hylian's hand, well aware of the size difference of their hands and the ease it would be to accidentally hurt it.

 _"I…"_ His masked friend trailed off, _"Yes. Understood. I will, I will rest, Your Highness."_ The Hylian bowed, stiff and awkward and not at all like the perfect one he had given his father and him before. Regardless, Sidon smiled, happy that the other finally agreed to sleep, and released their hand as he stood. 

"I thank you. Rest well, my friend." The other gave a wordless nod and yet another bow—far better than the previous, but still stiff and without the grace of the usual one. Still smiling, Sidon gave him a small wave to both him and Kodah before leaving to the throne room, ready to inform his father. He was glad his belief that the other would hold true to his promise of returning at dawn was correct, he knew that they weren't running away, and couldn't have been happier that he was right. 

For now, the Hylian will rest, and after, they'll calm the beast which slayed his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link low-key went 😳 when Sidon knelt and held his hands but that's just sleep deprivation talking...right?

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and critique welcomed! I'm still new to writing for loz, so I'd be thankful for anything! Originally, when I first started writing this, Link was really as mysterious and cool as Sidon thought him to be first meeting. But as the story fleshed out, he ended up becoming a short-term memory idiot who worries about people too much.


End file.
